What are you fermenting today?

[Wifezilla]

Something in wine makes my heart race in a very unpleasant manner, just a sip or two will do it. It's kinda scary.

I bet it is the sulfides. I avoid all home made wine recipes that call for Camden tablets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campden_tablets

If you boil your wort, you really don't need them.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Thanks for the informative link, Wifezilla. And I did not use Camden tablets . I did boil my "wort". And then didn't get around to putting is in jars and canning it. Thus it picked up wild yeasty beasties and probably had some within, since it is plum juice I am using. The book I am basing my home wine making on, has old traditional recipes, stuff the common people would make, and before current government regulations.
Free, you could try making elderberry wine. If you ever watched "The Waltons" I believe there were 2 elderly ladies infamous for their "tonic" of elderberry wine.

The small family winery, I used to work in, used sulfur to clean the barrels. On those days I usually had to go home early. Which the owners fortunately understood. They were totally into organics and at one time even paid for the legal certification of having organic wine. They stopped paying to be certified organic. But they still pactise it, because it is what they believe in. Every aspect of their wine making is practised with utmost care for the environment and people's health. They grow their own grapes organically and sustainably.
They treated their employees well, I felt like family. The vinyard (and other seasonal) workers are treated with respect and concern. These people often work in extreme weather. During heatwaves, the owners would check on them regularly to make sure no-one was suffering from the heat, they also had us bring lots of cold drinks to them. The owners would see to it that they got breaks from the heat, by bringing them from the vinyard to the winery to cool off.
In the cold and rainy early spring, when the Mobile Bottling line was there, my job was to get the fire going in the winery (the only heat source for the building) and hot chocolate in the 2 crockpots. About 1/2 hour or so later, the crew would come in out of the cold and usually wet, put their meals in the microwave, grab some hot chocolate and huddle by the stove. They didn't speak english, but their faces showed their appreciation and I understood enough mexican to understand what they were saying.
This is about fermenting isn't it. Ok so I segued (sp) a bit.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Here is a recipe for elderberry wine from "American Cooking: Eastern Heartland"

Combine in a crock 5 pounds of elderberries, 2 1/2 quarts of water, 2 1/2 pounds of sugar and 1 yeast cake. After 15 days, strain, add another 2 pounds of sugar and pour into fermenting jugs. Fit with fermentation lock and let stand until fermentation has ceased (about 3 months). It is then ready to drink but since it makes such a beautiful deep red wine, try to save a bottle for next Christmas - it will be even better!
An old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe from Betty Groff, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania

It actually helped me to write this down. I think I will add some more sugar to my plum wine.
This book also has recipes for flower wine, vegetable wine, gooseberry wine and others.

 

[big brown horse]

Here is a recipe for elderberry wine from "American Cooking: Eastern Heartland"

Combine in a crock 5 pounds of elderberries, 2 1/2 quarts of water, 2 1/2 pounds of sugar and 1 yeast cake. After 15 days, strain, add another 2 pounds of sugar and pour into fermenting jugs. Fit with fermentation lock and let stand until fermentation has ceased (about 3 months). It is then ready to drink but since it makes such a beautiful deep red wine, try to save a bottle for next Christmas - it will be even better!
An old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe from Betty Groff, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania

It actually helped me to write this down. I think I will add some more sugar to my plum wine.
This book also has recipes for flower wine, vegetable wine, gooseberry wine and others.

Thanks FarmerDenise!! This looks quite easy too!!

 

[FarmerDenise]

bbh, I thought so too. I just love this book, since it is filled with old time recipes. And beautifull illustrations too.

 

[Wifezilla]

If the wild yeast leaves a sour taste in your plum stuff, you might be able to make vinegar.

That's what I did to some wild fermented apple juice

 

[freemotion]

Thanks, FD, I think five pounds of elderberries is doable, if the big patch I found pans out.

Dumb question....the yeast cake....not bread yeast, I suppose, that must be a special yeast for wine making?

And do you know how much it makes, so I can have the "jugs" available? I may be able to get to a wine and beer making supply store this week.

 

[Wifezilla]

Yes. If you have a home brew shop nearby, they will have wine and champagne yeast.

I have had the best luck with Red Star Champagne yeast.

 

[freemotion]

Cool, thanks, I will look for that.

 

[big brown horse]

bbh, I thought so too. I just love this book, since it is filled with old time recipes. And beautifull illustrations too.

Would you mind terribly if you could jot down the gooseberry wine recipe, I have a nice bush full of rip gooseberries at the moment. I didn't know what to do with them except just eat them raw. Maybe I'll have enough to make a little wine?